Rim expander



May 22, 1928 1,670,404

J L. GENDRON RIM EXPANDER Filed D60. 50, 1926 Patented May 22, 1928.

JOSEPH L. GENDRON, F SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

3.1M EXPANDER.

Application med December 30, 1926-. Serial no. 158,095.

This invention relates to a device for expanding and contracting automobile rims. The principal objects of the invention are to provide a positive means for gripping the two ends of the split rimand connections between the same having such relationship that the rim can be contracted or expanded in a positive manner and with comparatively little effort, and to provide a clamping device for each end of the rim, the two clamping devices having parts extending inwardly and pivotally connected by an oper-. ating lever and theoperating lever having great enough leverage so that it- IS comparatively easy to contract and expand a rim.

Otherobjects and advantages of the mvention will appear" hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanyin drawings in 'whichi ig. 1 is a side view of a tool constructed in accordance with this invention in its preferred form and applied to the two ends of arim; h

Fig. 2 is a plan of the same;

Fi 3 is a side view like Fig. 1 showing the hrstmovement in contracting the rim;

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the final position; r r i r Fig. 5 is an end view, as indicated by the arrow 5 in Fig. 1 and Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the transverse line 6-6 of Fig. 2.

As is well understood in this art, the two ends of a split rim are diificult to separate and to get back into alignment after the rim has been contracted. This tool is designed to provide positive means for manipulating the rim in either direction. For this purpose I provide a clamp at one end of the rim comprising two side pieces 10 having aws 11 and 12 at a distance apart and of hookshaped construction as indicated in Fig. 5 to come under the edges of the rim that is to be operated upon. These two side pieces are held together by a bolt 13 with nuts 14 at opposite sides to force them together so that the jaws 11 and 12 grasp the rim and hold it between the tips of the jaws and the shanks 15 thereof as shown. The side pieces have arms or goose necks 16 projecting inwardly in a general radial direction. These two arms are perforated and are connected by a cross shaft or rod 17 located on the side of the radial line, drawn through the split of the rim, opposite that on which the gooseneck is fixed. The hooks have horizontal surfaces for supportingthe rim and inwardly slanting surfaces to grip the rim.

Therp is a link 18 pivoted on the rod 17 which pivot-ally connects this clamp with the clamp for the opposite end. The latter is provided with a rod 19 fixed to the link 18. The link 18 and goose neck 16 constitute a toggle; This other clamp is provided with. two side pieces 20 having inward radial arms or extensions 28 carrying the rod 19. One ofthe side pieces has a hook jaw'21 for receiving the edge of the rim and the other of which is a jaw having a groove 22into which the rim will engage at its inner surface. This groove has a wall 28 on'one side which engages the side of the rim and forces the rim up against the shank of the hook on the other side. The walland the bottom of the groove engage the edge of the rim and hold it against motion both out and in.

These side pieces 20 are connected by a screw 24 having nuts 25 for holding it in position and adjusting the sides together. U

The twoshafts or rods 17 and 19 are additionally connected with each other by passingthrough two holes in an operating lever26. The lever is positively fixed to the shaft 19. The operation ofthis leverfp will swing them about each other and always move the link 18 the way the levermoves. It will be seen that the distancebetween these two shafts 17 and 19 is short and that the operating lever is very long so that there is a very strong leverage.

Assuming that the rim is to be contracted, the four hook-shaped jaws 11 and 12 are engaged with the opposite edges of the rim on one side of the split and the nuts 14: turned up until the rim is gripped positively as shown in Fig. 5. The two side pieces 20 are also placed on the other rim end in a similar way and forced together by the nuts 25 7 so as to provide the pressure to hold the other end of the rim firmly. At this time the handle projects out in the manner shown in Fig. 1 in a general tangential direction. Now if the operator will swing this handle inwardly toward the center of therim, it will be seen that a great leverage is applied to move the side pieces 20 outwardly with respect to the side pieces 10 and bring the end of the rim clear in beyond the adjacent end as shown in Fig. 3. This will take place on account of the position of the various parts as described above. Now as the operating lever 26 iisiturned around to a position indicated by the change in the position of the shafts 17 and 19 in Fig. 4, the rims ends are overlapped and the' tire can he *removed. This action is rendered possible by the goose neck which permits the shaft 17 to pass beyond the position shown in Fig. 4.

In expanding the rim, the parts are put on inthe positionshown in Fig. .4,-the handle turned back in .the opposite direction through the position shown in Fig. 3 to that shownin. Fig. l, wherethe toggle is straightened vand the rim ends will .come together andthe parts will stay in this position without further application of force-so theclamp can be removed.

It willibeseen that the two rim ends are held positively by thetwo pairsof clamping jaws and that the leverage is secured by extending ;these jaws inwardly and connecting them the lever and link so that when inmormalpositionthe toggle is expanded and thelinkiextendsiin ageneral tangential direction. Thelturning of the lever and link soas to bring .the gooseneck up through radial position and .over to the opposite side breaks the toggle and contracts the rim by causing a curvilinear motion of the .ends of the rim. ,The opposite .operationexpands it in,. tlie same curved path .by toggle action an'd brings theendsiback into registration in a positive way.

Although II have illustrated ,and described only a single form t of the. invention I am aware of the ifactthat modifications can be made therein by any person skilledin the art without departing from the scope of the invention ,as expressed in the claim. Thereformll do not .wish to lie-limited to .all

having opposing rim iengaging portions,

having a wide engagement with the edges of the rim to rigidly anchor said plates thereto;,means connecting said plates to hold them rigid and'parallcl spaced by the width of the rimand to force the plates to gnip the rim, asha'ft mounted at each end inthe forward ends of said plates and having rigid therewitharms carrying anotliersha'ft, andone, at least, extended to form an op erating'lever, another pair of plateshaving rearward rigid arms or extensions pivoting onthe second shaft and also having opposed rim engaging portions having a sulliciently wide engagement with the rim to insure i igidity therewith whenclamped thereon and similarly vconnected and spaced by means holding them parallel and forcing the lates togrip the rimfand on said second sha t,th e arrangement and proportion 'being such that' when 'both sets of plates are clamped upon a rim onoppositesides of the"oint,the first eliect of movement of the roc shaftis to slightly separate 'the ends of the rim,' t he nexttto raise one end and a further movement collapsesthe rim, carrying the end held by thesecond set of plates between the first pair of plates, while a return movement reverses the efiectuponthe rim end themotion thereof being controlled and governed throughout .in accordance with the movementot the seeondsha'ft.

In testimony whereof Ihave hereunto affixed my signature.

JOSEPH 1L. GENDRON. 

